Daughter of Music
by DianaChaseKirkland
Summary: Julliette O'Vive may seem an average girl. A common ballerina in the Opera Populaire. When the greatest nightmare of the Opera's inhabitants strikes, nothing would ever lead them to her...or would it? Follows the movie of 2004. I only own my OCs
1. Prologue: The Phantom

**A/N: Hi! Well, I just want to say that I'm completely re-posting this story. I edited the chapters and everything (something I'm most lazy to do with my stories) and basically I will begin again, though I didn't change much. Also, I want to thank **_**PainlessAnguish **_**for being the only reviewer and **_**AkatsukiMercy1515**_** for following and favoriting haha :P And least but not less, to everyone who read it :) **

**You might notice it's the same just with mistakes corrected and little things fixed, but as I said I'd like to begin again :)**

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Prologue: The Phantom

The girl couldn't stop crying. She lied curled up in the corner of the empty room. The other girls were down on their practice. Madame Giry had allowed her to miss the class for as long as she needed to. She couldn't stand missing a class. Dancing was the thing she loved the most in the world. Even when she was sick she managed to get out of bed and make some ballet poses.

But now, she would surely take at least a week off.

She wrinkled the paper on her hands, not daring to read it again. That morning, when Madame Giry had come into the room announcing she had correspondence, she'd happily made her way through her roommates and taken the envelop with expecting eyes.

She expected some notice from her parents. They'd been on a business trip at Lyon for almost three months already, and they were supposed to be back on Paris the next day. She wanted the letter to say that they'll go meet her as soon as they arrived, or that they'll bring her a gift from Lyon, or that they'll be at her performance the next week.

But as soon as she read the few lines written on it, her legs gave away beneath her and made her crumble to the floor.

Immediately all the girls made a circle around her, asking her if she was okay and wondering what the letter said. Madame Giry just stood at the room's door, looking at her with pitiful eyes but saying nothing, as she already knew this would happen.

When the time for the class came the girls were already on their ballerina dresses and helping each other to comb their hair. Everyone except for her.

She curled up in the corner, gripping the paper so tightly that it was torn on some parts. Her tears were getting her clothes wet and her face was buried on her knees.

Madame Giry had gone to her and said in a soft voice that she did not have to worry about the classes. She had put a hand on her shoulder before leaving the room.

When she was left alone she started to sob uncontrollably.

Her sweet, caring mother. Her kind, charming father.

The letter did speak about them, but instead of the news she'd been waiting for, it was from one of her father's associates, telling her that there had been a terrible fire at one of the warehouses and none of them could make it out.

She clenched her fists and in anger she made the paper a ball and threw it away with all her might. She buried her face on her knees again when she suddenly felt the hit of something like a ball. She looked at it and it was _her_ paper ball.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice trembling with crescent panic. She was supposed to be alone in the room. As if on cue, no response came.

"Hello?" she tried again, she was sure she'd thrown the ball away, and she'd felt it been thrown back. Unless she was going mad, which wouldn't be a surprise due to the shock she was going through.

She tried to convince herself it was that when something flew on the air and landed at her feet. It was the letter's envelope.

"Who is there?" she asked standing, and now sure that she was not crazy. The door closed. She turned around scared.

"M-Matt," she stammered, "it is not funny, you know. You should be comforting me instead of p-pulling me a joke," she said. But when the silence followed her words she knew there was no Matt to complain with.

Instead of Matt, from the shadows emerged a figure wearing a long black cloak. A man, a tall black haired man. He was dressed fully in black. His black hair was swept behind and a white mask covered half his face. His eyes fixed on her with such intensity that she almost fell again.

"Stop crying child," he said with a deep voice. Julliette shivered. "Some things in life you just cannot change. I understand that feeling. They make your life feel miserable, empty," he paced around the room, looking at the ceiling as if he was speaking with himself.

Her eyes followed him. She was frozen on the spot. She tried to open her mouth to speak but no sound came out of it. He stopped and looked at her.

"But if you come with me," he thrust out his hand, covered by a black glove, "I can show you the true beauty of this world. I can help you get over everything that hurts you. I can give your life a new meaning," he sentenced.

She should've gotten away with fear, she should've screamed in terror. A stranger was on her room, looking suspiciously like a criminal and inviting her to go God knows where. But instead of backing away she walked to him, moved by her curiosity. The true beauty of the world? A life with a new meaning? In that moment, that sounded good to her. Her life had lost all meaning since she read that letter. For a seven year old kid, the idea of someone helping you with your grief didn't sound bad, did it?

She took the hand he offered. He smiled and started to walk. She followed him into the darkness….


	2. Chapter 1: Music of the Night

Chapter 1: Music of the Night

"From the beginning," Madame Giry said, loud enough to be heard from the back seats.

The ladies snorted. They'd been rehearsing the same number for a week now, every single day. The reason why was that on a certain part of the song, they had to make a circle around the diva and give fast twirls while they made some steps they had just modified from a previous choreography.

But some of them, or many of them, always forgot that part. They just surrounded the diva and knelt on their final pose. And the few ones who didn't forget started making the steps but they looked strange, because the others had already stopped dancing. By the end of the song they were all doing a different thing and they didn't even have a circle anymore.

"And please, please, this time follow Meg and Julliette on the front line. On the back, go behind Christine," Madame Giry pointed at said girls with her walking stick.

"Mom," Meg snorted. Next to her, Julliette giggled.

They set again for another practice. By the end of that day they could finally get the dance just right. Madame Giry clapped.

"Very well," she said, walking into the circle. "Tomorrow you'll practice with the actual diva here inside, please try not to forget. Also, Monsieur Lavefre said tomorrow he'll pass by at the rehearsal so you need to get it perfect. But it's all for today, now go to rest," she said.

All the girls stretched and sat on the floor. It surely had been a long day. They were talking and taking off their ballet slippers. Some were going to take a shower or to sleep. Julliette sat on the floor, her feet hurt terribly. Her two best friends, Meg and Christine sat with her.

"So, how do you think the new managers will be?" Meg asked.

"New managers?" Julliette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Haven't you heard?" Meg looked at them. Christine shook her head in denial.

"Well, there are rumors that Monsieur Lavefre is retiring, and according to my mother, it might be true. Rumors say that two rich gentlemen will be the new managers," she explained, obviously pleased for knowing more about the matter than her friends.

Julliette and Christine nodded.

"So," Meg continued, "how do you think they'll be?"

"I don't know," Christine said. "I just hope they're nice."

"I hope they keep things at peace," Julliette was rubbing her feet.

"So do I," Meg agreed, then she looked at Christine. "Won't you have lessons tonight with your 'great tutor'?" she asked.

Christine shrugged.

"_He_ calls me. I can't know when he'll appear," she answered.

"Yeah right," Meg said. She clearly didn't believe a word about Christine's mysterious singing teacher, though her friend was a talented opera singer. Julliette smiled.

"When you see him, tell him that I say he does an excellent job with you," she said playfully. Christine smiled.

"Thank you."

"Well girls, go to your room already," Madame Giry urged. They stood and followed the other dancers upstairs.

"Christine," she stopped her when the others were far enough. "He wants to see you tonight," she whispered on the girls' ear. Christine nodded and went with her friends. Julliette looked at Madame Giry.

"At the same time?" she asked her. Madame Giry nodded.

"You'll have time to go after her lesson. Rest until then," she said. Julliette smiled and went to her room.

She was one of the few dancers who had a room of her own. She just had her bed, a table with a few things and papers, her wardrobe and a window looking to the street. Next door were the rooms of Seraphine and the sisters Dominique and Charlotte.

She changed to a comfortable dress and pulled the covers up to her knees. From one of her drawers she took some scores and a pen and ink. She started completing some lines with musical notes and directions.

He had told her to fix that wrecked song and play if for him. It was from one of the operas that the maestro had composed by himself. According to him, the maestro had no talent in anything but directing the orchestra, which could be clearly seen on his insulting work, so, it was her task to turn it into something better. And she was almost done. She was on the last page.

Around midnight she spotted a candle's light from outside and knew Christine was going to the chapel for her lesson. She had already finished with the song and had laid down to sleep for a bit. But then she just sat and looked through the window.

An hour later the light appeared again, meaning she was going back. She stood and fixed her hair a little. She took the scores and stayed next to the wall. Once she heard Christine's door closing at the end of the hallway she opened hers slowly and closed it behind her. With careful steps she walked along the aisle. Only dim moonlight dissipated the darkness.

She reached a small corridor with a golden statue on the end. She turned the statue's wrist and it began to move to one side, revealing a long staircase that went down. She got inside and behind her the statue moved again until the wall covered the entrance.

She kept going down until the stairs ended. There were several tunnels and corridors entangling and leading to all places in the Opera, but she knew exactly which way to go. After an eternity walking through the maze she reached the end of the floor. Instead, there was water covering the surface. She spotted the small bridge and crossed it to the other side. From behind a rock wall she stepped out into a small island in the middle of the water.

The beauty of the place was undeniable. Dark and creepy, yet amazing and full of mystery. The majestic organ that stood on a near wall and the elegant furniture, along with the darkness of the cave slightly lit up by the candles made the place seem even unrealistic.

But Julliette had practically grown up in that place, so it had become rather normal for her. More than normal, she'd found out she felt better being there.

He was standing by the organ, with his back upon her, but he knew she was there even before she spoke.

"Good morning Monsieur," she greeted, a bit amused because it was almost two in the morning.

"Morning, Julliette," he said, turning to see her. He had a smile on his face, product of his recent encounter with Christine.

Now, Julliette knew well that he was in love with Christine, but it still seemed a bit awkward to her. She couldn't look at her friend without thinking '_Does this mean she'll be my mom?'_

She shook her head laughing and took one of the music stands under the couch.

"Did you fix the song?" he asked.

"I've just finished," she answered, setting the scores on the stand. From behind an old clock she searched the violin collection, looking for her favorite one. A light brown, polished wooden fiddle with beautiful black plugs. The fiddlestick was uptight and well conserved, though it was decades old. She took the violin and stood before the scores. She checked on the strings and tuned it up.

He'd been looking at her while she did it. She positioned the violin on her shoulder and looked at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Start," was all he said.

She looked at the scores. It was a duet. He'd always told her that when she had to play a song destined for more than one part, she should choose the one she liked best unless she was told otherwise. She chose the leading violin and began playing.

It was a happy tune, which had been written for a party scene. The beginning was a high note to start a beautiful and moved dancing melody. She had fixed both parts of the song, and she hoped her little extras fitted well on it. At least they'd sounded well to her.

She shook her head. He had told her that on music whatever she thought was fine was what she should play, and she shouldn't worry about anything. On a part she had already memorized she glanced quickly at him.

He was pacing from side to side. His hands behind his back and his eyes closed, with that expression that said he was carefully listening and evaluating every single touch between the fiddlestick and the strings.

The sight made her nervous and she took her eyes back to the scores. Just another page to finish the song. That was what she had been worried about. She had added almost a whole line to the ending, since she considered it very simple, but she didn't know if those notes would fit right.

Anyway, she just prayed she'd chosen the right notes and rubbed the fiddlestick against the strings to reach the high parts. She kept playing until she slid the fiddlestick down on the last note. He stayed with his eyes closed. Then, slowly, he started to open them and looked at her.

"Perfect," he muttered. Julliette smiled, pleased.

"I remember," he said, "that was a two violin song. Would you mind if I'm your accompaniment?" from a cabinet he took out his violin. It was pure black, shinny, beautiful, and the melodies it gave off sounded almost celestial. He checked on it, tuning it up and he placed next to her. She spread both scores on the stand so he could read his.

"When you please to begin," he simply said, setting the violin to play.

She turned to the scores and started playing. Next to her he followed the scores with his eyes and played when the accompaniments came. He played with such grace and skill, even those few notes, that Julliette felt the need to stop playing and sit down to listen to the sweet melodies he pulled from the instrument. But she shook her head and continued with her part.

With both violins, the melody sounded even happier and Julliette wanted to start dancing around. However, they were near to the end and they both finalized with a last fiddlestick swing. She looked at him.

"Perfect," he said, opening his eyes, since he always played with the eyes closed.

"Thank you," she answered. He put his violin back on the cabinet.

"Now, to the cello," he told her. She put her violin behind the clock and from a wall took out the cello. He handed her a score.

"Is the new song I composed," he explained. "Play it."

She put it on the stand and sat. He asked her to play many songs in many other instruments he'd taught her to play. He called it a daily practice. Piano, flute, harp, organ, cello, violin….almost every instrument created.

And not only did she know to play them, but she was pretty skilled. But she would never realize it. She always said that she was just an apprentice and that she still had much to learn from him.

"That's enough," he suddenly said, just when she ended a song in the flute.

She looked at him.

"You can go. You did wonderful as always," he smiled at her. She smiled back and put the flute on the table.

"Thank you Monsieur," she kissed his cheek. "Get some rest," she said, pointing at his bed, which had surely been abandoned for at least three days. Typical of him staying awake.

"Music calls for sleepless nights," he said. "Don't worry about me child. This body still resists the wears of a composer, but I think I'll follow your advice this time. For tomorrow night I have important things to do."

"What kind of things?" she inquired.

"You will see," he sentenced. "Come tomorrow at the same time and you will see," he looked at the ceiling, as if what he would do was really something sublime. She shook her head, smiling.

"Well, tomorrow I will see and right now you will go to sleep," she took him by the arm and made him walk up to where his bed was. She handed him his night clothes and made him sit on the bed.

"Sweet dreams….father," she whispered while closing the veil and getting away.

When she had left he smiled.

"Sweet dreams…darling."

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**Hope you liked it ;) Leave your opinion on a review :P **


	3. Chapter 2: The Gala

Chapter 2: The Gala

"Monsieur Lavefre, I am rehearsing!" the maestro exclaimed as said man walked into the stage.

They were rehearsing Hannibal for that night's gala when Monsieur Lavefre, the House's manager, along with two other men made their appearance.

"Monsieur Reyer," he raised his hands, "Madame Giry, ladies and gentlemen, please. If I can have your attention," he requested, since everyone had started to gather to see what was going on. "Thank you. As you know, for some weeks there have been rumors of my imminent retirement," he started. "I can now tell you these are all true," everyone started muttering things like 'I told you' or 'So it was true'.

Julliette was with her friend Charlotte.

"Meg was right," Charlotte whispered to her.

Julliette nodded.

"And," he continued, "it is my pleasure to introduce you to the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire," he pointed at the two men next to him. "Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre," Monsieur Richard bowed respectfully at the crowd while his partner Monsieur Gilles waved cheerfully.

There was a round of applause.

Julliette spotted Dominique, Charlotte's sister, and her friend-retinue Meredith posing and smiling suggestively at the two men while muttering "He must be rich". Charlotte just face palmed.

Monsieur Richard spoke up.

"And we are deeply honored to introduce our new patron," he said.

"The Viscount de Chagny," Monsieur Gilles said smiling.

From behind the stage came out a tall blond man. He was dressed very simply, for a viscount. He wore a white dressing shirt under a brown vest and a blue coat.

All around her Julliette heard the voices of the girls who sighed dreamily and commented on how handsome the man was. Indeed, he was good looking, she had to admit, but she couldn't help but laugh at them.

"My parents and I are honored to support all the arts," he started saying, "specially the well renowned Opera Populaire." Everybody clapped and the diva approached to him.

"Oh gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Guidicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons now," Monsieur Lavefre introduced her as she took the viscount's hand and bowed at him.

"Bravo, bravo!" her servants shouted. The tenor made a squeaking sound and they all turned to him.

"Signor Ubaldo Piangi," Monsieur Lavefre said as well. There was more applause.

"An honor Signor," the viscount said. "I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal. I will be here this evening to share your great triumph," he said to the crowd. "My apologies Monsieur," he told the maestro before walking away.

"Thank you Monsieur le viscount," the maestro said. "Once more if you please Signor," he tried to continue with the rehearsal.

Charlotte and Julliette positioned themselves on their respective places, since their number was about to start. The orchestra started to play their song and the first lines made their entrance on stage.

As she danced, Julliette spotted Madame Giry talking with the new managers and showing them the number. They were pointing at some ballerinas and, apparently, asking about them, with a suggestive smile on their faces. She noticed that they had been precisely Meg and Christine.

She almost smiled. If _he_ could see them…

The time to make the circle was close. Julliette looked around at the other dancers. She saw Charlotte, and her expression told Julliette that she was thinking the same. A few hours before, Madame Giry had changed the choreography, saying that it would be easier to remember a less complicated sequence and it would also fit better with the song. But know, with all the staging, all the other dancers and cast, if they made a mistake it would be disastrous.

Sighing, she just prayed everything would be alright and positioned herself next to Meg.

The time came. They surrounded the diva, her singing reaching the highest point. Then they all started to make the new steps at the same time. For Julliette's surprise, no one got anything wrong. They twirled in time and knelt on their final pose just in time, when the music ended.

Smiling, they all raised.

"We got it!" Meg said happily holding Julliette's hands.

"I know!" she answered.

"We did it!" Christine joined them. Julliette went with Charlotte and they were talking excitedly when they heard the diva's loud voice.

"…I will not be singing!" she said. "Andiamo tutti…." She kept mumbling things as she walked away.

Julliette shook her head, as the other cast members just sighed. Carlotta was _such_ a diva.

Monsieur Richard and Monsieur Andre were soon after her, flattering her beauty and telling her to be the goddess of the song. It seemed Monsieur Lavefre had already taught them the first rule to deal with the diva: grovel behind her.

Julliette didn't make out much of their conversation, something weird due to Carlotta's loud complaints. The best she and Charlotte could figure was that she was mad because the managers admired the dancers instead of her and something about her costume for act three.

At the end, Monsieur Richard asked her to make a performance just for them, so they could get delighted with her 'blessed voice'. Carlotta quickly recovered her spirits and started commanding for everyone to stay quiet as she walked to the middle of the stage.

"Signora," Monsieur Reyer said, back in front of his stand and with his baton in hand.

"Maestro," she answered. He gave the command for the pianist to start playing. It was the song for act three, Think of me. _He_ had made Julliette learn to play it on violin, piano and flute, and had also made her sing it. It was one of his most beautiful compositions.

"'Think of me'," Carlotta sung, with her ear drilling voice, "'Think of me fondly when we've said goooooooooooooooodbye'," Julliette closed her eyes to keep from complaining. Carlotta was a good singer, an opera singer, and her voice, while it was amazingly strong, it could be also amazingly irritating. And that particular song deserved something better.

She kept singing, obviously pleased for having the managers' attention now. She seemed very enthusiastic while she made her voice fluctuate on the high notes when, above them, something started to crack. On the blink of an eye one of the panels that had already been lifted was rushing down and fell over a screaming Carlotta.

Everybody backed away and the maestro, the managers and the tenor approached to her.

"It's here, the phantom of the Opera," Julliette heard Meg say. Now, she didn't believe on Christine's teacher but she did believe in the phantom.

"Though they are the same," she thought. She looked up, as many others did, but they were looking for Joseph Buquet, the chief stagehand. She tried to look even further up from where Joseph was and she vaguely made out a black figure. It was him.

Monsieur Lavefre called Joseph to know what was going on while they helped Carlotta to her feet.

"Please Monsieur don't look at me," Joseph answered, lifting the panel from above. "God's my judge that was not my post," he said.

Monsieur Lavefre glared at him.

"Please Monsieur there's no one there," he said again, then he adopted his typical smirk. "Or if there is, well, then it must be a ghost," he laughed. Everyone gasped.

Julliette saw Madame Giry picking something from the floor.

"Signora," Monsieur Gilles tried to calm her down, "these things do happen."

"For the past years these things do happen, and did you stop them from happening… No!" she said to Monsieur Lavefre. Then she pointed at the new managers, shouting that they were just as inept and useless. She ended saying that they should stop those things from happening and she left the place, with her crowd behind her.

The managers were astonished, just as everyone else. Carlotta had a big mouth. She always threatened with leaving the production if something didn't please her, and at the end it was always fixed so she would stay. But now, she had actually walked away from the stage and hadn't looked back.

"Gentlemen, good luck," Monsieur Lavefre told the managers, "if you need me I shall be in Australia," he said and left as well.

With that, the managers were even more astonished.

"S-Signora…" Monsieur Gilles stammered "….Guidicelli….she will b-be coming back won't she?"

"Don't think so Monsieur," Madame Giry broke in, holding what seemed a letter and its envelope. "I have a message sir, from the Opera Ghost."

"Oh God in heaven you're all obsessed!" Monsieur Richard complained. Madame Giry ignored him.

"He welcomes you to his Opera House…" she continued.

"_His_ Opera House," Monsieur Richard again interrupted.

"…and commands that you continue to leave box five," she pointed at the box with her walking stick, "empty for his use. And reminds you that his salary is due," she gave Monsieur Gilles the letter.

"His salary?" Monsieur Richard exclaimed.

"Monsieur Lavefre used to give him 20,000 francs a month," Madame Giry replied, as a matter of fact.

"20,000 francs!" he took the letter from Monsieur Gilles's hands.

"Perhaps you can afford more," Madame Giry suggested, "with the viscount as your patron."

"Madame," Monsieur Richard said. "I had hoped to make that annoucement public tonight when the viscount was to join us for the gala. But obviously," he started tearing up the letter, "we shall now have to cancel, as it appears that we have lost our star," he said.

Everyone stared wide eyed at him. Cancel the gala at the last minute? Julliette looked up, to where she'd seen him disappear. What did he pretend with this?

"Sho-sho-should it must be a-an understudy…" Monsieur Gilles said.

"Understudy?! There is no understudy for La Carlotta!" Monsieur Reyer said.

"A full house Andre," Monsieur Richard continued his loud venting. "We shall have to refund a full house!"

"Christine Daae could sing it sir," Madame Giry said and everybody looked at her. Julliette smiled. Of course.

"The chorus girl? Don't be silly," Monsieur Gilles shook his head.

"She has been taking lessons from a great teacher," Madame Giry insisted.

"Who?" he asked.

"I-I don't know his name Monsieur," Christine said in a small voice.

"Let her sing for your Monsieur," Madame Giry put a hand on her shoulder. "She has been well taught."

The managers exchanged a look.

"Alright," Monsieur Gilles said. "Come one, don't be shy." Christine looked terrified as she walked to him "Come on, come along, just, just…"

"From the beginning of the aria then please Mademoiselle," the maestro said. Julliette looked at her. This was her time, it was the time to show what he had taught her, and it made sense that he had bothered in personally attacking Carlotta so Christine could get her chance.

The pianist started to play. The managers stood by her side, obviously not believing a ballerina and chorus girl could play the role of a diva.

"They'll see," Julliette thought.

Christine started singing. Her soft, sweet voice slowly filling the place made all the cast approach to listen. Julliette couldn't help smiling.

After so many years living with him she had learned to recognize a real 'blessed voice' when she heard one. And the way she reached the high notes, with such care and without going out of tune made Julliette's heart jump in delight.

Since the first note she sang, the managers' faces changed completely. They were staring at her, open mouthed and obviously surprised. When she ended the song they could just look at each other, not knowing exactly what to do.

Julliette took the initiative. She started clapping, and next to her, Charlotte did too. Soon, all the other dancers, singers and even the stagehands were clapping as well. The managers slowly got out of their trance and joined the applause.

The maestro's face was unreadable. His baton was still in the air but he wasn't paying it attention. After some seconds he burst out laughing.

"In the name of God!" he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We are indeed lucky. Mademoiselle, if you could sing from the beginning of the Opera please," a man handed Christine the sheets with the lyrics. "Then we could continue with our rehearsal. Everybody back to your places!" he ordered.

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Later that night on the gala, the managers announced the debut of a new singer, Miss Christine Daae.

The public seemed intrigued by that new singer and when the curtain opened it revealed a young lady, beautifully dressed with a wide white gown and precious crystal earrings and other ornaments on her hair. Behind her, the scene showed a starry night with a big moon on the top.

The sweet melody of the piano started to play.

"'Think of me'," the girl sang and everybody's attention turned to her, "'Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye. Remember me, once in a while please promise me you'll try. Then you'll find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…'"

The orchestra, playing with all their might, was the perfect and the only needed accompaniment for her sweet, charming voice. Everyone was already enchanted by her recently started performance.

Julliette smiled as she watched her friend winning them over with every note that escaped her lips. Just like at the rehearsal, all the cast was gathered as close as they could to listen. The stagehands let their heads be seen while leaning out over the railings.

She glanced at box one. Monsieur Gilles and Monsieur Richard were surely enjoying themselves, watching her sing and then looking at the public. She then glanced at box five, on the other side, expecting to see it empty. Thought it was never empty, actually.

But her eyes widened when, instead, she saw the viscount, sitting happily on it. And not only that. He was looking at Christine with such a smile…

"Uh, oh," she thought.

He suddenly stood up and disappeared from her view. She left the backstage and went to the stairs that leaded to the boxes. On the way she found Madame Giry.

"Julliette, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Ma-Madame did you…did you see him?" Julliette answered with another question. Madame Giry sighed.

"Yes, I saw him. And of course, those managers didn't say a word to him. But I'll watch him. You go back already child, it'll be strange that we both disappeared at the same time," she said and she had a point. Julliette nodded and went back with the others.

When Christine ended the song, with that magnificent note, the crowd exploded in applause. They clapped as well, never having enough of her beautiful voice. With that, the show ended and the people started to walk out of the room and of the theater. Meanwhile, the cast was having the usual celebration party, with drinks, dancing and chatting all around the room.

Dominique and Meredith had gotten what they wanted. The first thing Julliette saw were said girls talking lively with the managers. Dominique was even sharing a cigar with Monsieur Gilles. Charlotte shook her head.

"I'm ashamed of what she does," she said.

"On the bright side," Julliette pointed out, "soon you could be Gilles Andre's sister-in-law and afford to open your ballet school," she said, trying to cheer her.

Charlotte laughed at her friend's occurrence.

"The day my sister gets married I will go on my knees to Jerusalem," she said dramatically and they both laughed.

Behind them, Jean, a singer Charlotte had been dating for a while, started to call her.

"Guess you must go with your beloved," Julliette mused. Charlotte's cheeks turned slightly red, but then she smiled.

"And you can stay with yours," she said, walking away. Julliette didn't understand what she meant…until she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Jullie!" it said. She turned around.

"Matt," she smiled. He smiled back at her.

"You were great," he told her.

She blushed.

"You also were great," she replied, her cheeks burning. Charlotte was definitely laughing now.

Matt and Julliette had been friends since forever. When Julliette first arrived to the Opera House he was the first one she spoke with. The kid of those times was a small, scrawny violin apprentice, with black curly hair all messed up and a face full of freckles. The Matt of today was a tall, fit man. The first violin of the orchestra. His black hair elegantly combed to one side and his handsome face almost flawless. He had changed a lot.

And Julliette also had, in Matt's opinion. That shy little girl he'd met more than ten years ago, who was too afraid and insecure as to speak with anyone and who knew nothing about ballet but either way she loved it, was now, in his eyes, the best ballerina of the House. She was confident, talkative and she was friends with every nice cast or staff member. And, God damn it, she was gorgeous.

As a child she'd always been cute, with her thin, tall figure and her light brown princess curls framing her lovely face. But now, she was seriously beautiful.

She was even taller, though not taller than him, and her figure, instead of thin, was now slim and athletic, according to one of a dancer. Her brown curls were less defined, looking more like soft waves, and her face, still lovely, seemed to shine with those pretty black eyes that made him lose his balance and choke with his own saliva.

When they were young they did almost everything together, laughed at the most ridiculous things and in a word were inseparable. Now, Julliette noticed, it was on rare times that they weren't even a little bit awkward around each other, their cheeks tainting pink.

"I had no idea Christine could sing like that," he said, attempting to make conversation.

"I knew," Julliette smiled. "But she surprised me this time." Matt laughed.

"Well, she surprised all of us," he said.

Julliette nodded and there was silence…..an awkward silence. They stayed there, looking at each other and then looking around, and then at each other again, smiling nervously. Finally, Julliette just burst out laughing and Matt joined her. They spent the rest of the party talking about every possible thing that came to their minds, as they shifted places to avoid the helplessly drunk staff, stumbling and tripping over their own feet until they met the floor.

Everybody was enjoying. However, Julliette noticed Christine was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was in her room already. He never let her stay up late on such things. And neither did he let Julliette, so she had to say goodbye to Matt and head upstairs. After taking a bath to wash her makeup and painting away, she went to her room and put on a simple dress. It was close to midnight. She could hear the party dying and heavy (surely drunken) footsteps pacing along the hallway.

When it was her time to go she didn't have major problems. Most of the drinkers were sprawled on the stairs, mainly stagehands. With some long quick steps she reached the statue and opened the passage. Once down she stepped into the island and spotted him sitting at his desk. She approached from behind.

"Hello Julliette," he said, not looking at her. She snorted.

"Sometimes I think you really are a ghost," she complained playfully. The hint of a smile formed on his lips.

"Maybe," he agreed. "How about you start with something soft on the violin?"

"Okay," she shrugged and went to get her violin. From one of the drawers she took some of his violin scores and started looking for a soft tune. She remembered seeing one he was finishing some weeks ago. She found the sheet at the end. It was untitled, but she studied it a bit and it looked good, so she took it and put the rest back in the drawer.

She spread it on the stand and started playing. It was like a lullaby, making her eyelids heavy as she hit the notes. But she kept playing. She played many different songs. He would just keep doing….whatever he was doing, only raising his head when she was finished to tell her she did well.

When she ran out of scores (at least of songs that she knew about) she got closer to him and looked over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Writing some brief notes to my managers," he said. Julliette gulped. Had he seen the viscount sitting at his box? He definitely had but, what was he going to do?

"Don't worry my child," he said, reading her thoughts. "I will not cause them any harm. Not as long…"

"As long as they obey your orders, which you've seen they don't," she completed. He stopped writing and sighed.

"We'll see about that," he sentenced and started moving his hand across the paper again. When he finished he signed the note and put it in an envelope. Julliette noticed another pair of envelopes in front of him. He stood from his chair and took the notes.

"I'm delivering these," he told her. "I'll be back soon. In the meantime, please watch her for me." Julliette's eyes widened.

"_Her?_ Who?"

"You'll see," he smiled and walked to one of his secret passages, immediately disappearing from her sight. She sighed and sat on the chair. _Watch her for me_. Who did he have there? She glanced at his bed and saw the veil was down. Still with wide eyes she walked up to it and lifted the veil….to find Christine Daae sleeping soundly.

* * *

**As you may notice, a good deal of this comes straight from the movie. Since I wrote those parts by ear I apologize for any mistakes :P**

**Please leave your opinion and thanks for reading :)**


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